Separated at Birth? Greenville, Sioux Falls
by James Fallows
These two cities are different — in size, in economic base, in self-image, in ethnic mix, in 15 different aspects. And of course every city is unique, etc. But in these past few days in Greenville, we’ve been struck by more similarities to Sioux Falls than to other places we’ve seen. (Read it here.)

Romanesque on the Plains: The Look of Sioux Falls
by John Tierney
But in addition to the visible raw edges, like the huge slaughterhouse and the penitentiary that both sit right downtown, the city also has an extensive and remarkable architectural heritage, starting with the striking Richardson-style Romanesque buildings that define much of the look of downtown. (Read it here.)

Everyone’s a Linguist: More on ‘Coming With’
by Deborah Fallows
“Come with,” also “go with” (“Are you going with?”), is an upper Midwest thing, where you had the bulk of settlers from Germany, Norway, Sweden, and some from Holland. All of those languages have the “come with” thing… Norwegian especially, but also Swedish and Dutch. (Read it here.)

‘When’s Your Birthday? January First!’ Report from Sioux Falls
by Deborah Fallows
Sioux Falls began welcoming Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s, and it continues welcoming refugees today, including most recently Sudanese, Somalis, and Nepalese. I say “welcoming” deliberately, as the outreach and cooperation among churches, schools, civic groups, the city, and community volunteers is deep and obvious. The phrase I heard most often in my talks with those who work with refugees is something like “embrace the challenge.” (Read it here.)